In November 2025, Caitlin, our Marketing Executive, won Young Business Person of the Year at the Northamptonshire Business Awards. She's more than earned it.

But the award is just the headline. The story behind it is better.

where it all started

Caitlin came to hireful at the very start of her career as a Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprentice. She got stuck in, learned the ropes, and finished with a Distinction. Foundation built, she didn't stop there.

three and a half years at NTU

Next up was a Level 6 Digital Marketing Degree Apprenticeship with Nottingham Trent University. Full-time job, full-on degree, three and a half years of juggling both. She finished in November 2025 with First Class Honours and a Distinction in her apprenticeship assessment. She made it look easy. It wasn't.

learning that actually gets used

What stands out about Caitlin isn't just the qualifications. It's what she's done with them. Nothing's sat on a shelf. Her degree fed straight into live campaigns, real projects, and actual decisions the marketing team has made along the way.

She also runs training sessions across the business and for hireful's HR partners, helping people get to grips with marketing and digital tools. It takes confidence to stand up and teach your colleagues something. She's good at it.

from quiet apprentice to the person running the training session

By her own admission, Caitlin was on the quieter side when she joined. That's changed. She brings ideas forward, leads on projects, and helps other people develop alongside her.

She's also been open about her own journey, talking to local students and making the case for the apprenticeship route. That kind of advocacy is easy to overlook, but it matters.

Northamptonshire Business Awards: Young Business Person of the Year 🥇

The award is run by the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and recognises young professionals showing real growth and leadership early in their careers. Caitlin's story was a natural fit.

we're proud to back apprentices and early-career talent

At hireful, we've always believed in giving people room to grow. Apprenticeships work because you get the qualification and the real-world experience at the same time. It's a great route into a career, and Caitlin is a great example of that.

She's one of several apprenticeship success stories within our team, and we're looking forward to seeing what she does next.

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